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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. press — a publisher
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. press — to push
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. clip — to cut
  17. race — the arms race
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com